


Don't Drop Me (I Know You Wouldn't)

by AetherSprite (AranthianPrincess)



Series: Don't Mini [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 07:36:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5859973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AranthianPrincess/pseuds/AetherSprite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve trusts Tony with his life even when Tony fears a repeat of his latest failing. A swan dive off a building should remedy that... Or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Drop Me (I Know You Wouldn't)

**Author's Note:**

> For the 'hug-and-fly' square on my bingo card. Well, it's more like “glomp-and-fly,” but close enough, right?

It took just under two weeks for things in the tower to get back to normal. Well, as normal as they ever did. Steve thought he was doing quite well pretending he didn't want to corner Tony every time he saw him and argue with him until he admitted Steve's stint in the hospital wasn't his fault. He could still see the guilt in Tony's eyes whenever he looked at Steve and it was killing him. Tony had the best eyes for the sad puppy look and Steve was half-convinced he knew it too and exploited the fact. Then there were the times like this one that made Steve question his own theory.

He knew Tony hated talking about anything even close to “feelings,” especially his own. The entire team had a half-serious running joke that Tony considered himself to be some kind of biological robot who didn't have emotions, but Steve didn't think that was it. Tony was just as human as the rest of them. He just chose to develop other skills and remained a novice at expressing his true self, which was why it was always a surprise, especially to him, when his feelings slipped out unintentionally.

And that's how they ended up in another battle with more stupid robots a month after the first one. Even Steve was feeling annoyed as the team pummeled the bastards into scrap. Whoever was behind this couldn't think of something more original? At least it gave Steve an idea about how to knock Tony out of his guilt-induced bout of shame.

Steve found himself once again on the roof of a multistory building bashing robots to pieces. He even managed to keep away from the edges and not plummet once again to another hospital visit. Somehow, Steve didn't think Tony would take that well.

“Cap, watch it! You're skirting the edge there,” Tony's voice sounded in his ear through the comm.

Of course, there was always the sneaky way to get around a Tony Stark emotional block.

“There are too many,” Steve said, allowing the robots to push him closer to the edge in a mirror of the previous incident. It wasn't even difficult, the robots were swarming him and he would have needed help in a few more seconds anyway. “Iron Man, I need evac.”

“Steve?” Tony said, his voice sounding just shy of frantic. “Hold on! I'm coming!”

Steve took another couple swings at the nearest robots, then he got a flash of red and gold out of the corner of his eye. That was his cue. He took several quick steps back and was just about to take a swan dive off the roof so Tony could catch him when something slammed into him hard and he was in flight.

“Tony?” Steve gasped out.

“I got ya, Cap. You're gonna have to stop with the falling off buildings gig or I'm likely to have a heart attack. You wouldn't want to be responsible for my heart failing, would you?” Tony said.

Steve smiled. “I knew you'd catch me.”

The armor flinched slightly, not enough that anyone would have noticed except Steve was being held tightly against Iron Man's chest as they flew so he could feel every tiny, little twitch.

“What?”

“Just put me down over there. Then go see if you can find the leader,” Steve said instead of answering the question.

Tony did as he was told without a word. Steve wondered how long he'd be confused speechless.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“There are too many. Iron Man, I need evac.”

Tony tried hard not to panic when he heard Steve say those words. He searched the HUD for the little blinking dot labeled Captain America and immediately took off, heading for him.

“Steve? Hold on! I'm coming!”

He watched as Steve was forced closer and closer to the edge. Tony could feel the fear riling in his gut, waiting for Steve to fall and hit the ground with enough force to actually kill him this time. Those fears vanished, burned away by the sheer relief of feeling Steve safely ensconced in his arms. And humor had a little something to do with it too. Steve let out a grunt of surprise when Tony slammed into him at high speed to practically tackle him off the roof into the air. Then they were flying.

“Tony?” Steve said, barely audible over the rushing sound of wind. Tony wanted to laugh.

“I got ya, Cap. You're gonna have to stop with the falling off buildings gig or I'm likely to have a heart attack. You wouldn't want to be responsible for my heart failing, would you?” He teased.

“I knew you'd catch me.”

Tony couldn't believe his ears. “What?”

Of course, Steve ignored him. “Just put me down over there. Then go see if you can find the leader.”

Tony did as he was ordered without protest, just operating on autopilot. The small part of his brain not occupied with fighting robots or trying to untangle the riddle that was Steve-Rogers-slash-Captain-America couldn't believe he actually followed an order. There was time enough to worry about that later. Right now he had to find the dumbass responsible for the robots before Steve got it into his head to nearly get himself killed again. Tony didn't want Steve being seriously injured on his conscience twice.

Fortunately, the mastermind wasn't hard to find or take down. Some questioning by Natasha after they caught her revealed she was a disgruntled rival competing with Hammer for government defense contracts. The previous robot attack had been her doing as well. Tony felt the outrage quickly taking over his previous guilt and worry over Steve.

“Hammer?! We helped Hammer?! I can't believe this!” Tony complained, brow furrowed in annoyance arms still encased in armor flying about as he gesticulated wildly. “We should give her her laptop back and let her back at it. Make Hammer come clean his own messes up.”

“We can't do that, Tony, and you know it,” Steve said. Tony whirled on him, gauntleted finger pointing at Steve.

“And you! You're a ground fighter with no flight capabilities. Why can't you ever _stay_ on the ground?” Tony demanded.

Steve gave him a look. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“'Don't know wh– ' You can't fly, Steve! I would have thought your first attempt would've warned you off trying the stunt again.”

“I can fly,” Steve cut in, shocking Tony out of his ranting.

“Steve, unless those wings on your head get a lot bigger and grow more feathers, you can't use them to fly.”

“I don't use wings to fly.” Steve was smirking at him now. And wasn't that annoying?

“Oh? What do you use, then?” Tony said, getting right into his personal space so he had a front row seat when Steve's smirk morphed into a soft smile.

“I have my Iron Man. That's how I fly.”

That took Tony aback. “What?”

“I don't blame you for what happened before, Tony. No one does. Except you,” Steve said. He reached a gloved hand up to cup Tony's cheek and, before Tony realized what was happening, Steve had darted in and placed a quick kiss on Tony's lips. “I still trust you to catch me when I fall and I always will.”

“I never thought of you as someone who makes stupid decisions,” Tony grumbled, but Steve just smiled at him and that caused warm, tingly feelings inside Tony.

“We'll see.”


End file.
